Of The Rich and Poor
by Ember of Wolves
Summary: Rhen, duke of one of Hyrule's neigboring lands, has passed away leavin his daughter, Elain, in charge with an iron grip. Ruthless ruling, angry servants, a certain blond, a lowly servant, and inevitable chaos to con-sue. read please. too much to explain in a few words.


**AN. this is just my beginning piece. will update it eventually but working on two stories and college and work, i won't promise it will be soon**

Of the Rich and Poor

"YOU STUPID GIRL!" All across the castle, residents and servants alike could hear the clang of a shoe to metal bucket before it clattered across the ground with a sound of splashing water soon after. Ember cringed as her mistress's voice erupted once again to accuse her of trying to sabotage her. "YOU ARE DRAGING YOU DIRTY COLTHING OVER THE FREASHLY WASHED FLOOR!" Ember cringed and hid her eyes behind her short strawberry blond hair. She dare not say anything nor move to clean up the mess. She learned long ago the young princess would find any excuse to chew her up and spit her out. So she just stayed on her knees tuning out her verbal abuser.

Ember longed for the time when Duke Rhen was still alive and his daughter didn't run the land. Back then Ember didn't have to worry about anything. If her chores weren't done, Rhen would tell her not to worry, there was still tomorrow. But even back then, his daughter, Elain, had still been around, ordering the help and demanding to be waited on hand and foot. The rest of the workers had been too afraid to disobey her, but Ember would deny her the satisfaction of control. At one point she let it slip to duke Rhen how his daughter was acting. He didn't punish her for talking bad about his own family, but instead confronted Elain about it, making her do chores all day long to show her how it felt to take such commands.

When Duke Rhen had passed, Elain took over. Because of Ember's insolence, Elain took it upon herself to make her stay a living hell. At first it was just making her a personal servant, making her do mundane tasks like bring her water at two in the morning or fanning her in the summer when it wasn't even hot. Small things that really weren't necessary. After a few weeks of that, she tried to look for employment elsewhere. Elain would have none of it; she threatened to make sure no one hired her. She was willing to go so far as to make it illegal and anyone who hired her would be promptly arrested.

So with nowhere to go, Ember had to stay in the late Duke's keep and make some kind of living for herself. She had thought of self employing herself and working on a farm, she would have food, but what about other things like clothing? She didn't know how to thread or sew. She would have to sell her product, and knowing Elain, she would make that illegal too.

After her attempt at escape, Elain had tightened her grip on Ember's freedom for anything. Her demands came more often and they become nearly impossible to complete in the time allotted. Things such as preparing a complex meal not an hour before guests arrived or giving her multiple jobs at once and expect them to be done before noon the same day. But no matter what order she gave, Emebr always got it done. What the young duchess didn't know was that Ember wasn't doing it all on her own. The rest of the staff chipped in with the work, though they were forbidden to.

But today was especially bad. Elain decided to keep an eye on Ember and watch for every and any mistake she made in her work. A very important guest was arriving soon. She wanted the Keep spotless before HE arrived. A young knight from the far lands in the East was due to show today and discuss a trade agreement. Elain had no interest in the political assets of it, but rather the possibility of a handsome lover.

"Go change into something acceptable. We do have guest's coming soon and I will not have my employees looking like filthy pigs. I'll have someone else do your jab since you seem to be too stupid to do anything right."

"Yes mistress Elain." Was all she said before standing up and hurrying out of the hallway. She could hear Elain behind her snapping at some poor soul that happened to be passing by to clean up the "mess" Ember had made. She was grateful to be off her knees and out of there, but she knew better than to think she was getting a rest. Once she changed, she'd be right back to work.

She headed down to the kitchen, where the staff was already preparing tonight's meal. Though there she would take to a small space behind everything. This was what she took as her living quarters when Elain had taken over. Ember used to have a full room, with a connected washroom up on one of the main floors along with some other well respected staff. All the rooms were claimed back and workers were moved to the attic out of the way.

Elain took it upon herself to make sure there was no privacy or secrets behind her back and thoroughly went through everyone's belongings. This did not go over well with everyone, but of course they could do nothing. For a while this continued, and everyone got use to it, until Elain decided she wanted to start taking things. Emebr wouldn't stand for that. Things she took were sometimes very precious to people. She had once taken a silver necklace from a young girl who's lover had died. She was terribly upset when it turned up missing.

Ember had consoled her and couldn't stand to see the anguish in her face. So she wentout to find what elain did with all the stolen things. She knew if she was caught, she would be severly punished, but then again the situation shouldn't be there in the first place. So when Elain was away, she snuck into her room, searching everywhere. At first Ember found nothing, but when she was about to leave, a small imperfection in the floor boards caught her attention. It was a knot from the wood that made a small hole between two of the boards. It was just big enough for someone's finger to fit in.

This seemed highly odd for someone like Elain to ignore, so slpiiing her index finger through, she latched onto the under neath and easily lifted to board up. Underneath was not only the girl's necklace, but a variety of other missing things, including her own diary. At first she panic when she saw it, but remember she had it that morning, so there was no way Elain couldn't have read much of it.

Relieved, she gathered the stuff and exited the room, putting the boards back before she did. She couldn't go around the keep with all the stuff in her hands, There were those who supported Elain's action and she had eyes and ears everywhere. Those who did were treated well and were privileged to live in a suitable living space. Fortunatly the none of the kitchen staff were those kind of people and would gladly loan her something to carry the belongings in. So that's where she headed.

The main cook was one of the workers that had something taken away from him and Ember gladly handed over a pocket watch that had his family crest engraved on the front. When she explained what she needed the cook shook his head.

'No Ember, though I am grateful for the return of my watch, as others will be about their own things, that still will not stop that wicked girl from taking them back.'

'Well then we'll just reclaim it once more. She can't say anything about it unless she openly confesses to stealing.'

'I have an idea, there is a space in the store room we do not use. He shelves in the back are always nearly empty and it is hidden in a back corner. Unless someone fully walks into the store room, it is perfectly hidden. I'll have some of my workers rearrange shelves so you'd have to turn twice to get there, but it will hide it even more. People can keep their belongings there. I believe we all trust eachother not to take what is not there's. Especially since it's already been taken once.'

Ember agreed to this and at once the shelves were arranged while Ember went and explained everything to anyone she could find. The word was spread and by the end of the day, anyone who needed to know, knew. And thus an un-official meeting was held that night. Most agreed to the idea but many feared about people going through their things. Others feared of being caught if they we're constantly going down there. But the main fear is that they would be found out and punished for it.

Ember didn't think it would hold this much of a problem with everyone else. Individually it would be a great idea. But their concerns were legitimate. Ember stepped forward and offered to move her living space down to the kitchen storage and keep an eye on everything. Though she hated to do it, she also offered to take the blame if the place was ever discovered, and would claim she stole and hoarded everything for herself.

Though she figured she was not considered a leader, she knew they respected and trusted her in a way no one else there could claim. It was agreed she would safeguard everything and keep the whole place a secret. And if anybody needed or wanted anything, she would have to go down and get it.

She had spent much more time down in the store room after that, too afraid to leave everything alone. It was also somewhere where she felt the safest to write in her journal. Eventually an extra mattress was moved down there, along with the rest of her belongings, so she could stay there full time. That is when she wasn't a slave to Elain's demands.

The day Elain went to snoop through everyone's things and didn't find anything worthwhile, everyone could tell. Her mood was more displaced that day than any other. She soon noticed Ember's usually unkempt bed, had been unusually tidy and knew something was up. Elain sought her out, wanting to scare her.

'I know you haven't been sleeping in your bed. You're up to something, and when I find out, there will be hell to pay.' Ember didn't respond. This wasn't about her bed, but about what she had stolen back and hid and didn't want to instigate anything further.

Now she's there stripping down to her undergarments to replace her filthy work clothing with a simple made white dress with a black sash across her middle, tying up in the back. It wasn't the best thing she had to wear, but she dare not put on her best least she 'try to upstage' Elain.

"Ember!" Theo, the main chef, called out to her. "Are you in there girl?" Ember poked her head around the corner to look down the main walkway. She couldn't see Theo, but she knew he was there.

"Yes, I'm here." She stepped towards a rack stacked with full flour sacks, knowing that's what he wanted. It was always in the way back and he didn't bother going to get it himself if she was there.

"Bring me some flour once you're done writing in that silly journal of yours." She rolled her eyes while flinging a small sack over her shoulder. She knew he meant well.

"Already on it Theo." She stepped out of the storage space and toppled the flour onto the counter to her left. Theo came around the large hearth in the middle of the room, which currently held two large geese over it, slowing cooking them.

"Ah thank you Ma Cherie. I'd go back myself, but it seems a waste of energy since you are there anyway."

4


End file.
